You're All I Want for Christmas
by Becks7
Summary: Linka just wants to spend a nice Christmas with her family and friends all together on Hope Island. Will she get her wish or will an Eco-Emergency put a damper on her plans.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, my name is Becks. I used to write Captain Planet fanfic. Nice to meet you! ;) Truth is, I STILL write CP fanfic...I just can't seem to finish them so they never get posted. But I had a little idea for Christmas (and you know how much I enjoy holiday fics!). It's NOT finished, but I don't plan on it being more than a few chapters so I'm confident I'll have this one completed by the new year. Since it takes place a few days before Christmas, I figured I better start posting. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not making money from it. And thanks to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago for the information on Russian Christmas traditions.**

**Summary: Linka just wants to spend a nice Christmas with her family and friends all together on Hope Island. Will she get her wish or will an Eco-Emergency put a damper on her plans.**

* * *

"One of these days, I'll have a real Christmas tree for Christmas," Wheeler says as he puts the top piece up on the artificial tree while Linka hums along to the Christmas music playing in the background.

"I think this one is very realistic looking, for being fake. Besides, cutting down a tree just to use it for decoration seems like a waste," Linka says while handing him a set of lights to start stringing on the tree.

"I'd replant a new one to replace what I cut down. I just never had a real one. Although this fake one is a million times nicer than the one I had growing up. That one was like a freakin' toilet brush."

She smiles and shakes her head at his colorful description.

"What about you? What was your tree like growing up?" He asks.

"Non-existent. Under communism, celebrating Christmas was banned since it was a religious holiday. It started to be more openly celebrated in the 1930s. But our celebration was very low key. A special dinner on Christmas Eve, followed by listening to my grandmother tell us stories of the legend of D'yed Moroz, Grandfather Frost, the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus. It was said that Grandfather Frost lived deep in the woods of Russia and came to town in a sleigh. Grandfather Frost had a reputation for bringing gifts to good children and forgetting those who were naughty. He could be both jolly and cold hearted. During the Christmas season, he would roam the streets, handing out toys to well-behaved children-and overlooking those who behaved badly."

"I'm sure you were one of the good ones...Did he look like Santa?"

"You know neither one of them are real, right Yankee?" She teases.

"NO! Say it ain't so!" He says in mock shock. "I meant, how was he SUPPOSED to look? In people's imaginations...or was that outlawed too?"

"Pretty much. There was no 'commercialism' of the holiday like there was in Western Europe and the US. But in the stories that Grandmuska told, Grandfather Frost dressed in red robes trimmed in white fur, his beard was snow-white and bushy, and long. Sometimes his outfit made him more like a wizard than the Santa Claus known in Europe who put gifts under the Christmas tree did. However, he did not come down the chimney because the houses in Russian cities had no fireplaces. He made house calls, delivering toys and gifts door-to-door. Some children opened their gifts on Christmas Eve, but others were told that Grandfather Frost wouldn't come until they were fast asleep, and they would find their gifts under the tree on Christmas morning."

"When did your family open theirs?" He asks.

"When I was younger, Christmas morning. When I was older and knew that D'yed Moroz was just a fictional character, we exchanged gifts after dinner."

"I always had to wait until Christmas morning...or afternoon. Whatever time my Dad woke up from his drinking binge."

"I promise I will not keep you waiting Christmas morning," she says as she kisses his cheek.

"Morning?! I thought you said you opened presents on Christmas Eve!" He pouts, putting his arms around her waist and holding her close.

"I told you, that was _AFTER_ I stopped believing in fictional characters that deliver presents...you still believe!"

"Is that so bad? Wanting to believe that the good get rewarded?"

"When have you _EVER_ been good?" She jokes.

"Last night? I don't recall getting any complaints from you," he leers.

"I think Santa would consider you were being 'naughty' last night," she counters.

"Yeah, but it sure was nice!" He says, bringing his lips down to nibble her neck.

She giggles, brings her hands to rest on the back of his neck, and plays with the sprigs of hair back there.

"We are never going to get this tree decorated."

"What tree?" He murmurs against her skin.

"Focus, Yankee."

"I am," he says, pulling back to look at her and then 'focusing' his attention on her lips.

She indulges him for a bit longer.

"Come on," she finally says, pulling out of his reach. "I thought the plan was to get this place decorated before the others get back."

"I have another idea of something we can do before the others get back," he says with a sly grin and pulls her back to him.

"Keep up this bad behavior and not only will I make you wait until Christmas morning to open your present, I will make you wait until _MY_ Christmas morning."

"Your Christmas morning? What's the different between your Christmas morning and my Christmas morning?"

"About two weeks."

"Huh?"

"We still use the Julian calendar in the Russian church, not the Gregorian one used in western churches. The Russian Orthodox Christmas is on January 7th. I will make you wait until then to get your present if we do not have this place ready for our families' arrivals!"

"Ok, ok," he says as he reluctantly releases her.

"This is a big deal Wheeler," she says softly so he knows she's not really upset with him. "This is the first time your parents and my grandmother and brother will meet each other. I want everything to be perfect."

"It will be...but not because of some silly decorations...because we're together..._FINALLY_. I think both of our families are happy about that...Ma says you're the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Oh she does, does she?"

"I kinda agree with her."

"'Kinda'?" She asks, raising an eyebrow at him.

He smiles and wraps his arms around her.

"You _KNOW _how I feel about you. I know this is a big deal...it's a big deal for me too. I'm just kinda nervous."

"Nervous? Why? You know Grandmuska and Mishka think very highly of you."

"I know...I'm worried about my parents embarrassing me."

"Is your mother planning on bringing old baby albums?" She teases.

"God I hope not! I just mean my mom will be making a fuss over us and my dad will be...well, my dad!"

"Ah...kind of like how I used to be worried about the other Planeteers teasing us?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"And we endured it just fine. It was not so bad. Plus I am sure Grandmuska and Mishka are going to have a few comments of their own. We will just laugh it off like we did with the Planeteers. We know they approve. The only way we should be nervous is if they disapproved. _THEN_ this gathering would be awkward and nerve wracking. Right now, I just want to finish decorating tonight so we can relax tomorrow before everyone starts arriving."

"Yes Dear," he says sarcastically.

He walks away to resume his light stringing duties while Linka hangs the stockings and she goes back to singing along to the Christmas music they were listening to.

"Yankee?"

"Yeah?"

She repeats the words being sung by Bing Crosby on the radio.

"You are all I want for Christmas."

He smiles and winks at her.

"Ditto Babe."

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for the reviews. I had 2 guest reviews that I can't reply to, but they were very sweet, so since I can't thank you personally via private message, I'll do it here. Thanks! Glad I made your day, and glad you liked the "Christmas present" if only it were this easy (and cheap) to get my friends and family their presents! ;) **

**Also, just to be clear, this is a stand alone fic and does not follow along with the Holiday Fic Series I did a few years ago. Thanks Jas-El for asking. It made me realize I should mention that! :)**

**On the 2nd day before Christmas, Becks7 gave to thee...(that was awful, I apologize!)**

* * *

Later that night, when all the decorating was done, the Wind and Fire Planeteers curled up together on the couch.

"Nothing like sitting in front of a fire and sipping hot chocolate when it's 70 degrees on the tropical island you live on with your super hot girlfriend."

"Are you too hot?"

"I don't know, am I? Would you still be with me if not for my hottness?"

She sighs and rolls her eyes.

"You know I meant temperature...with the fire and hot chocolate and me laying against you."

"Yeah, now that you mention it...we should probably take off some clothes," he says, nuzzling his nose behind her ear and taking her earlobe gently between his teeth.

"You are incorrigible!"

"If that means 'can't get enough of you,' then yes, yes I am."

She takes his mug and places it on the table next to hers before moving to sit across his lap, then puts her arms around his neck and rests her head on his shoulder.

"Hey, my hot chocolate is gonna get cold," he complains jokingly, not really minding their new position at all.

"It was too hot anyway!" She replies, kissing him softly.

He quickly forgets about his hot chocolate as they spend the next few minutes kissing. When they part, he rests his forehead against hers.

"So...I get to celebrate Christmas twice now that I'm with you? The perks of this relationship just keep getting better and better!"

She chuckles and shakes her head.

"Durak," she says jokingly as she presses her lips to his neck. "So two Christmases...is that the **_only_** perk that interests you?"

"What you're doing now is a good one too."

He closes his eyes and hums his approval, relaxing as she strokes his hair.

"Thank you for all your hard work this evening."

"Anything for you Babe."

"I think we did a good job decorating," she states.

"We make a great team," Wheeler says, kissing her temple. "Any idea when the others will be arriving?"

"Gi left her parents and picked up Kwame and Ma-Ti in Africa earlier today and they flew to Russia. They are staying the night with Grandmuska and Mishka, leaving in the morning for New York to get your parents, and should be here tomorrow afternoon."

"So we still have some peace and quiet left?" He asks, bending his head to nibble on her neck.

"Da, about 12 hours or so."

"Mmm."

"Please do not leave a mark there! I do not want our families and friends staring at my neck all through the week!"

He laughs at her self consciousness.

"Relax Babe, I wasn't gonna do anything...much."

He changes their position so that she is now laying on the couch and he is braced above her, reaching down to undo her belt so that it is easier to untuck her shirt from her shorts. She also busies herself with the task of pulling his shirt up and over his head, skimming her nails lightly over the bare skin of his back.

Normally they would never be so bold out in the open, but knowing they were alone on the island made them feel more audacious. Gaia had stopped materializing in their presence after catching them in a compromising position once when she came to ask Linka a question in her cabin. After that, Gaia started showing up in the next room and making her presence known ahead of time before entering.

His hands slip under her shirt to caress her skin.

"I take it you are no longer worried about your hot chocolate getting cold?" She jokes.

"There was hot chocolate?" Is his response as he crushes his lips to hers.

"Come on, let us go to bed. We will be more comfortable."

He stands up, scoops her into his arms, and carries her off to his cabin, their lips never breaking contact.

* * *

He sets her on his bed and crawls in next to her.

_Wheeler, Linka..._

"Go away Ma-Ti!" Wheeler says.

_I have a favor to ask..._

"So do I...for you to GO AWAY!"

"Wheeler!" Linka admonishes, pushing him away and sitting up.

"Please?" Wheeler tries in vain to get his way by 'using the magic word'.

"What is it Ma-Ti? Is everything ok? It is early in Russia, da? Are you getting ready to go to New York?"

_Yes, we will be leaving soon...but I just received a call from Laura Talbot. She needs our help...and since we are busy at the moment, I need you and Wheeler to take the Eco-Copter and help her_, Ma-Ti explains.

"Is she ok?" Linka asks.

_She is, yes. But there was an avalanche on the mountains near her town_.

"That sucks, but how can we help? Especially with you three on the other side of the world at the moment? We're not exactly equipped to do an avalanche search and rescue," Wheeler states.

"Do we need to call Captain Planet? We will look for Kwame's beam," Linka says.

_No, no human lives are in danger...but Laura can see a wolf pack stuck on a ledge. A mother, father, and three pups. She watched the father try to climb the snow, but it is loose and he just kept sinking, and the more he struggled, the pile of snow started falling and almost pushed the mother and cubs off the ledge and he almost went over himself and they lost a big chunk of the space they had left to stand on. Now they're just huddled together. There is no hope for them. They will die up there_.

"Get in touch with Laura. Tell her Wheeler and I are on our way."

_Thank you. We will drop your family members off at Hope Island and then join you_.

"NO!" Wheeler shouts. "You can't leave them alone together!"

"Wheeler?! Why not?" Linka asks angrily.

"Because...my parents...they can't be alone with your grandma and brother...there's no telling what stupid things my parents will say to embarrass me."

"You are the one being stupid! Everything will be fine. And the sooner we get going, the sooner we will be back here. Ma-Ti and the others may not even have to make the trip if we can get the job done."

"Ok, ok...so much for getting any sleep tonight," Wheeler grumbles.

"You were not planning on getting much sleep tonight anyway!" Linka reminds him with a roguish grin.

_Thank you my friends...and sorry to interrupt_.

"It is ok Ma-Ti. All that matters is saving those wolves...**RIGHT** Wheeler?"

"Yes dear..."

"I will fly, you can sleep. Now get dressed and let us go!"

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks again for reading and reviewing! Here LouiseX, since you asked so nicely! A little Christmas Eve stocking stuffer!**

**I'm off to church...think they'll notice if I sit in the back pew and write on my phone? ;) And maybe if you're all good while I'm gone, Santa Becks will post ANOTHER present.**

* * *

They arrive at Laura's just as the sun is coming up.

"Wake up Yankee, we are here."

He stretches and rubs his eyes.

"Why didn't you wake me sooner? I could have flown the last leg of the trip so you could get some sleep."

"I was not tired, and you looked like you were having a good dream."

"I was...about you."

"Oh?"

"Mmm...picking up where we left off before Ma-Ti interrupted...wanna hear about it?"

"Nyet," she says, blushing.

"I'll show ya later!"

"Wheelerrrrrrrr."

He laughs at how easy it is to get her flustered.

"Whaaaaaat? It was very tastefully done, this dream of mine!"

"Da, I am sure," she says, rolling her eyes. "Come on, open the door. Here comes Laura."

"Hey you guys!" Laura calls from outside the Eco Copter. "Welcome back!"

"Hello Laura. Nice to see you," Linka says, as she disembarks from their craft to greet their friend with a hug.

"You too. Sorry it's under such dire circumstances. Thank you for coming out on such short notice and so close to Christmas. I hear you have family on the way to visit," she says apologetically.

"Yeah...so actually, I should be thanking you for getting me out of it!" Wheeler jokes.

"I thought you were worried about not being there to keep your family from saying stuff to embarrass you in front of my family?" Linka says.

"I am...and they probably are...but at least I'm not there to witness it. But we really should get moving so we can save those wolves."

"Yes, I just got done checking on them and they have not moved...the male is pacing in what tiny space they have on that ledge. You can definitely tell they're distressed."

Wheeler turns to Linka.

"Got any ideas Babe?"

"Da...we fly up there, you get lowered down in the harness, grab a wolf, and try not to get eaten!"

"I'm sensing a hint of sarcasm," he says.

"Nyeeeeeet."

"Ok, so seriously...other than dangling me in front of the wolves like a juicy piece of meat...any **_other_** ideas?"

"Nyet. What about you?"

"Maybe somehow, we can get a cage...or even a large dog kennel...tie ropes to the corners to keep it stabilized, and lower it down from the Eco Copter? If they are desperate, they may get brave enough to climb in, and then we can lower it to the ground where they can scamper off safely into the woods?"

"Perhaps if we put food in the cage, that will make them more likely to get in it?" Linka suggests.

"Yeah, like raw steak or something?"

The Planeteers seem excited to try their idea, but their friend does not seem to be sharing their enthusiasm.

"What is wrong Laura? You do not think they will get into the cage?" Linka asks.

"No, it's not that...it would be worth a shot...but you can't fly the Eco Copter up there...the noise and the wind produced by the blades will cause another avalanche and definitely kill the wolves. No sort of vehicles are permitted up there."

"You mean you've been walking up there every day?! I thought you'd at least have a snow mobile."

"I have one...and any other time, I'd be using it...but not now. But I haven't been walking. It's much easier to go on horseback. I've got three tacked up and ready to go if you want to take a ride up there and assess the situation in person?"

"Da, perhaps some sort of idea will come to us then."

"Lead the way Laura!" Wheeler says as he picks up their luggage and follows the girls.

* * *

Meanwhile, back on HopeIsland, the other Planeteers have landed with their guests and are giving them a quick tour before they get back in the Geo Cruiser to go meet up with Wheeler and Linka.

"Those are the guest cabins over there. Kwame and Ma-Ti will take your things to your cabins and you can follow me to the common area where the TV is. There are also books, movies, games...help yourselves to whatever you'd like to do to keep entertained while we're gone. And then the kitchen is right off of it. Wheeler and Linka went shopping so we are fully stocked. Once again, make yourselves at home and eat and drink whatever you'd like," Gi says cheerfully.

When they reach the commons area, she stops and gasps in amazement.

"Oh my! Looks like those two elves were busy decorating for Christmas while we were gone."

"We never got to do much decorating when Linka and Mishka were younger. Her mother died a few weeks before Christmas so her father never got into celebrating and decorating. She does not know that is the reason though. You cannot tell a little girl that we are not celebrating Christmas. We did not want every Christmas to be a sad time for her. We tried to celebrate as much as we could for the kids without upsetting my son. I am glad she gets to enjoy it now and share holiday traditions with your Jason," Grandma says to Mrs. Wheeler.

"I'm afraid Jason probably does not have many fond Christmas memories from his childhood either...but I am sure he and Linka will help each other forget all about the past as they make many new memories together," Kathy Wheeler says fondly.

"Oh Jesus, here we go gettin' all sentimental," Joe Wheeler mumbles to Mishka, who laughs.

"My grandmother loves your son."

"And my wife adores your sister."

"Sounds like your wife and my grandmother will have much to talk about then!"

"And don't get me wrong, I think your sister is a real doll. Sweetest thing ever," Joe says.

"And I think Wheeler is a great guy. I could not be happier that my sister is with him," Mishka adds.

"I'm just not an overly emotional guy."

"Nyet, me neither."

"Soooo, do you like sports?" Joe asks, trying to find common ground with his travel companion.

"Da, I am a big football fan!"

"Great! Let's see if we can find a game! I think the Giants are playing."

"Oh, umm...I meant football...soccer. I am afraid I do not know much of American football. I will watch it though...if you just bear with me and my questions?"

"Yeah, yeah sure! I can teach you the basics. Hey, what about hockey? You got hockey in Russia."

"Da, I love hockey! I played in school."

"No kiddin'? The New York Rangers are playing the New York Islanders tonight. We can watch that after the football game!"

"Sounds good to me. Which team do you prefer? The Rangers or the Islanders since they're both from New York?"

"Technically, the Islanders are my home team...but I'll root for whoever doesn't suck this year!"

"I went to school with the Islanders' goalie."

"You know Nabakov?!"

"Many years ago. We were children. He stuck with hockey. After my father died, we did not have the money for me to keep playing...equipment is expensive. As soon as I was old enough, I started working. I thought that any spare money I made, I would use to get back into playing...but I did not have time. And then our Grandfather passed and I was suddenly the man of the house at 15."

"That had to have been rough...feeling like you had to take care of your Grandmother and sister while you were still just a kid yourself."

"Da...it was not ideal."

"I'm sure my son can relate...I wasn't dead but...I wasn't around. He had to grow up pretty fast too."

"He is a good man."

"I can't take any credit for that...I think that's all because of your sister."

"I am glad she is in such good hands."

"Yeah...speaking of..." Joe stops when he comes around to the other side of the couch and bends over to pick up a shirt with the Planeteer logo and a brown belt with a red star on the buckle. "Odd Christmas decorations, don't you think?"

"That is Linka's belt," Grandma says. "I got it for her for her 13th birthday."

"Is that her shirt?!" Mishka asks.

By now, Kwame and Ma-Ti have returned from putting their guests' luggage in their cabins.

"What is Wheeler's shirt doing here?" Kwame asks.

"Must've got hot drinking this hot chocolate," Joe says, picking up the mugs. "I'll just take these to the kitchen."

"I'll take them, Mr. Wheeler...and umm...Wheeler is always leaving his laundry laying around after it comes out of the dryer," Gi says, trying to cover for her friends.

"And the belt? It was not laundered," Mishka points out, enjoying watching Gi squirm.

"Uh, well...umm...Linka takes it off all the time when she's just sitting around...to get comfortable. Right guys?" She turns to Kwame and Ma-Ti.

"Uh, yeah..."

"Right."

"Ah, I see," Mishka says, knowing that is not the case, but hoping for his Grandmother and Mrs. Wheeler's sake that they believe it. "Where did you say you were going on this mission?"

"Montana. To help my friend save some wolves stranded on a mountain ledge after an avalanche," Ma-Ti explains.

"Perhaps you could use some help? Some extra man power? I am accustomed to the cold and manual labor if necessary," Mishka offers. His real reason being he is suddenly not very comfortable with the idea that his little sister is off alone somewhere with a boy and no supervision or fellow Planeteers to interrupt.

"Uh...yeah...sure!" Gi says, excited at the prospect of the handsome older guy joining them.

"Good idea Mishka...I've always wanted to go to Montana," Joe says, wanting to have a little talk with his son about the consequences of having a baby before you're ready.

"Joe, you can't over do it...you'll hurt you back!" Kathy says.

"I won't over do it. You girls just stay here and relax. The sooner we help get those wolves outta their mess, the sooner we can all get back here and have a nice family Christmas."

Kathy doesn't argue. She's been waiting years for "a nice family Christmas" and she was worried that this latest Eco Emergency would jeopardize that.

"Ok, fine...be careful. All of you."

"Let us go then!" Kwame says.

The three Planeteers and their two new volunteers head for the Geo Cruiser to begin their journey to the north.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Merry Christmas! **

**This was supposed to be posted on Christmas Day as my present to you, but the website was being evil. I could log in, but couldn't get to my account to post.**

* * *

After surveying the scene and not coming up with any ideas as how to get the wolves out of their predicament, Laura takes Wheeler and Linka to where they'll be staying.

"Sorry, it's not much. We don't have any spare rooms in me and Daddy's place. We have a few hunting cabins that we rent out to out of town folks. Unfortunately, we just built this one and haven't gotten around to furnishing it yet. The sleeping bags are the best we can offer right now," Laura apologizes. "Oh, and food in the pantry. Canned goods mostly."

"It is fine."

"Yeah, we've had to sleep outdoors in sleeping bags or tents. At least we've got a roof over our heads and a fire place. We'll be fine here. There's nothing we can do until the others get here. I really think Ma-Ti and Kwame's powers are going to be the best option for getting those wolves down...or calling Cap."

"Well, I'll let you get some sleep until they get here. Call the house if you need anything."

"We will, thank you," Linka says.

Once Laura leaves, Wheeler turns to his girlfriend.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you look exhausted Babe."

"I am. I have been up for over 24 hours now."

"Come on," he says as he rolls out the sleeping bags. "Get in. I'll get a fire started in the fireplace and we can both get some Z's before the others get here."

"Good idea...can we zip those together so that it is one big sleeping bag? For warmth of course."

"Yeah...right...warmth." He does as she suggests and then points his ring at the wood in the fireplace. "Fire!"

Within seconds, the wood is crackling and making the room warmer. He crawls in to the sleeping bag and spoons behind her.

"Warmin' up?"

"Da. This is nice."

"Just think, last night we were complaining that it was 70 degrees and too hot for hot chocolate...sure could use that now!"

"Chyort voz'mi! We left the hot chocolate on the table."

"Yeah so? Did you forget to put a coaster underneath them?"

"The others will see it and think we were just being inconsiderate and leaving our mess behind for someone else to clean up," she worries.

"I think they'll understand," he says, kissing her behind her ear. "After they see my shirt and your belt on the floor, they'll figure out we got distracted and didn't just leave our drinks behind because we're slobs."

"Bozhe moy! Your parents! They will think I am such a...slut!"

His eyes fly open.

"Oh my God! Your brother is gonna kill me! And your Grandma...she'll hate me!"

"They will both lecture me!" She cringes as she turns in his arms and burrows her head into the crook of his neck.

"I thought you said they liked me?!"

"They do! But they still see me as the child that left them...not a 25 year old woman. It is like the 10 years I have been with the Planeteers have not happened when I am around them. I am still 'Little Linka.'"

"Want me to tell them you're all grown up?" He leers as his hands creep up under the back of her shirt.

"Wheeler, two seconds ago, you were worried they were going to hate you!"

"Two seconds ago, I didn't have your hot breath on my neck!"

She chuckles and pulls away.

"Sorry Yankee, I am going to sleep. The others will be here in a few hours and then we will be back to work. You should get some more sleep too."

"Yeah, yeah, I will. Once I know you're comfy, cozy, and asleep," he says, holding her closer and rubbing her back to help warm her up.

"I am both comfy and cozy and soon I will be asleep," she lifts her head to kiss him goodnight. "Dobroy nochi. Ya tebya lyublyu."

"Sweet dreams, Beautiful. Love you too. Horoshego sna tebe."

"Very good Yankee! I hope you sleep well also."

He kisses her forehead and watches as her heavy eyelids close and her smile relaxes slightly into the content look he has become accustomed to when she is sleeping in his arms.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hope everyone found themselves on the "nice list" this year and got everything they wanted for Christmas! Big plans for New Year's?**

**A bit of "adult themes" in this one. Nothing warranting a rating change, but you've been warned.**

* * *

"Have either one of them answered your texts?" Gi asks her co-pilot, Kwame.

"No. Odd. I sent a text when we left. Ma-Ti was going to reach out to them, but he said they were both asleep and he did not want to disturb them since they had been up all night flying to Laura's."

"Well, maybe they're still asleep. Should we ask Ma-Ti to try again?" Gi asks.

"Ma-Ti, have you tried getting in touch with Wheeler and Linka again?"

"No...I will send a text."

Kwame turns to Gi and says quietly,

"I think Ma-Ti is still a bit embarrassed about interrupting them last night."

Gi laughs.

"Poor Ma-Ti...he's not the only one that's done it though! At least he was just in their heads and didn't actually see anything! I went into Linka's cabin once to ask to borrow some nail polish and was greeted by Wheeler's ass in the air!"

"Oh my! What did they do?!"

"Fortunately, they were so 'busy,' they didn't even notice. I probably could have walked right in a taken the nail polish and they still wouldn't have seen me! But I just backed out of the door. I'm just glad his butt was all I saw. If they had seen me, I would have been humiliated and not been able to make eye contact for weeks!"

"Ma-Ti is lucky he only interrupted them making out...and unlike you, I was not so lucky to get away with not being noticed!"

"Oh no! Really?!"

"Linka did not tell you?"

"No! She must've been mortified."

"The feeling was mutual."

"Where? When?!"

Kwame looks to the back of the Geo Cruiser to make sure Joe and Mishka are not listening. They are engaged in conversation with Ma-Ti. He continues in a hushed tone,

"A few months ago when we were speaking at that University. Wheeler and Linka asked if I wanted to join them on the track for a run. I did, but when they finished, I stayed out to get in a few more miles...or at least I thought I was going to. I started to get a cramp in my lower back so I went back to the locker room to take a hot shower. I heard water running so I knew someone else was already in there. I only saw one set of legs under the stall. I thought it may have been Wheeler, but I did not want to say anything in case it was not...It would have been awkward if it were not him. I do not want to start a conversation with a naked stranger in a locker room. I had finished and the other person was _STILL_ showering. I had taken a longer shower than usual to try and loosen my back muscles and was feeling guilty, and the fact that this other guy was _STILL_ using water...now the Planeteer in me was annoyed. I was just about to make a remark when I heard him cry out. I thought he was injured, so without thinking, I ran to the stall and pulled back the shower curtain..."

"Oh no..."

"Oh yes. Only to see Wheeler sliding down to the shower floor and Linka with her legs wrapped around his waist, sitting on top of him...and uhh...moving."

Gi giggles.

"You poor thing!"

"I know they could not tell, but my cheeks were as red as theirs! I did forget all about my back aching though as offered a frantic 'sorry!' and I ran out of the locker room!"

"Now that you mention it, things did seem kind of strange between you and Linka during that trip. Neither one of you had much to say to each other."

"I could not look at her. Wheeler was a good sport about it...making jokes and trying to lighten the mood. It took a long time before I was able to comfortably look Linka in the eye. I eventually got up the nerve to apologize to her for interrupting."

"What did she say?"

Kwame squeezes his eyes shut and rubs his forehead.

"She took a page for Wheeler's book...smiled and said I did not interrupt, they had finished."

Gi laughs loudly and draws the attention of the others.

Kwame looks back at them and shakes his head to say "never mind" in response to their questioning looks.

"So things went back to normal for you two then?" Gi whispers when she gets her laughter under control.

"Yes."

"Things have been a thousand times better since they got together though," Gi remarks.

"Yes. No more having to walk on egg shells around them when they are having an argument and avoid saying something that may be construed as taking sides."

"Definitely! Now we just need to work on our 'knocking before entering' and all will be right with the world!"

"I just hope Gaia never materializes before them...during..." He stops when Gi turns to look at him with a smug look.

"NO?!"

"Funny Linka never said a word to me about you catching them in the act, but when Gaia appeared in Linka's cabin to ask her a question while Wheeler was...under the covers, if you know what I mean..."

"Too much information Gi!"

"Sorry...anyway, Linka was ready to quit."

"What changed her mind?"

"I told her Gaia was 'Mother Nature' and 'the birds and the bees' was no big deal for her. Just a normal part of human nature, like breathing."

"That was good thinking," Kwame says.

"Hey Kwame," Mishka calls from the back of the Geo Cruiser.

"Yes?"

"Has my sister or Wheeler answered your texts?"

"No, I am afraid I have not heard from them."

"Linka has not responded to my texts either," Mishka says.

"Do you think everything is ok?" Joe asks.

"Ma-Ti would be able to sense if something was wrong," Gi says.

"Oh...would Ma-Ti also be able to sense if something else was keeping them...something that would involve clothing being left on the floor?" Mishka asks.

Joe and Mishka look at Ma-Ti and wait for his answer.

"Sleep! They are asleep. Long night of travel last night," Ma-Ti says without even checking to see if that is the case, too scared of what he might find.

"We are a few hours away still...if anyone else would like to take a nap, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea," Kwame suggests. "Gi, are you ok?"

"Yeah, you flew from Russia to New York and Ma-Ti flew from New York to HopeIsland. It's my turn. I'm not tired."

"Pillows and blankets are under the seats if either of you are feeling jet lagged," Ma-Ti says.

"I'm an old man...I won't say no to a nap," Joe says, reaching under his seat.

"And I have not had a vacation in years...I will take advantage of the opportunity to relax," Mishka says.

"Kwame, would you like me to take over as co-pilot so you can sleep?"

"No thank you Ma-Ti. Why don't you rest up so you are nice an refreshed when you see Laura?" He says with a wink.

Ma-Ti blushes but nods.

"I think that is a good idea."

Kwame and Gi change their topic of conversation so that they are not overheard now that the other three are no longer pre-occupied. The rest of their flight is spent chatting randomly until they land at Laura's.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks to those who have stuck with it. Hope you're still enjoying it. I actually finished a fic! Yay! So you can rest easy knowing that I'll get all of this one posted and not leave it hanging!**

**Some more of those "adult themes." Again, nothing major, but sensitive readers have been warned.**

* * *

Hours after they had fallen asleep, Linka stretches and then snuggles into his side. When his grip tightens around her, she looks up at him and is surprised to see he is wide awake.

"How long have you been up?"

"About an hour," he whispers, brushing his lips against hers.

"Why did you not wake me?"

"Because you've only been asleep for five hours...figured you'd wake up when you were ready."

"I feel like I could sleep for five more."

"Go ahead...I haven't heard from Ma-Ti yet. He was supposed to let us know when they were leaving HopeIsland," he says as he runs his hand lazily up and down her back.

"Maybe they encountered bad weather...December in Russia and New York...it is possible there is a snow storm messing with their travel."

"Yeah. I just wish they'd hurry up and get here so we can help those wolves...and get home."

"Have you given it any more thought as to how we can get them to safety?" She asks.

"Yeah, I've been wracking my brain the whole time I've been laying here...except for the few breaks I took to watch you...you smile when you sleep."

She pauses to try and recall what she dreamed.

"We were at a ski lodge...in a cabin much like this...except there was furniture. A big king size bed in front of the fireplace. It was so comfortable. Perhaps that is why I slept so well...I was subconsciously in a soft bed instead of in a sleeping bag on the floor."

"You complaining about the sleeping arrangements?" He asks, as he pokes his fingers into her side.

She squirms and moves so that she is laying on top of him and holds his hands to his sides.

"The arrangements...da. The company...nyet. Never."

She leans down to kiss him tenderly and releases his hands to allow them to roam.

When she starts to pull away, he moves with her, propping himself up on his elbows and bending his knees behind her so she is now straddling his torso. She can't help but to smile against his lips. Kissing Wheeler never gets old and she can never refuse him when he wants to prolong them.

"Did you still want to sleep some more?" He asks, barely breaking their contact. "Five hours isn't much."

"Do you need more rest? You only slept for four."

"Yeah, but I slept for three on the Eco Copter. I'm good with just laying here with you while you sleep. I may doze off eventually."

"Actually, I am suddenly not as tired as I was when I first woke up...I may need some help getting back to sleep."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I thought you were going to fill me in on the dream you were having on the Eco-Copter."

"Ah...you want me to tell you a bed time story?" He asks.

"Actually, I thought you were going to show me."

"Well...since it appears we have some time to kill..." He rolls over so that he is now on top of her as she squeals at the sudden change in positions.

"Wheeler!" She exclaims and then begins to giggle as his lips tickle her neck. Soon his kisses become more firm and the tickling sensation is replaced by a tingling one. Her whole body is covered in goose bumps that have nothing to do with the chilly temperature.

She wraps her legs around the back of his and pulls him tightly against her, cradling him between her legs. When his lips return to hers and the passion begins to build, there is no question where this is leading. The confines of the sleeping bag make maneuvering more difficult and Wheeler struggles to get the button of her snow pants undone. She contemplates helping him but is too caught up in running her fingers through his hair and insuring that his mouth never leaves hers.

They are so caught up in the moment, neither one of them hears the door open.

"What the hell is going on here?!"

It was impossible to not hear that bellow.

Wheeler scrambles off Linka, rolls onto his back and they both sit up.

"Dad?!"

"Mishka?!"

"What are you doing here?" Wheeler asks.

"We came to help you with your 'Eco Emergency'...but that doesn't seem to be your priority at the moment," Joe explains.

"We couldn't do anything until the others got here. We had no idea they were on their way. They were supposed to let us know when they left HopeIsland so we had an ETA," Wheeler says with a hint of annoyance.

"Kwame, Ma-Ti, and I all sent several texts," Miskha says. "All went unanswered. I guess now we know why."

"Da...because there is no reception up here! I have had zero bars since we landed," Linka says.

"This isn't what it looks like," Wheeler says. "We didn't get any sleep last night because Ma-Ti asked us right before bed time to get here to help Laura. Linka flew all night and as soon as we landed, we went to check out the wolves. We determined that there wasn't anything we could do safely without the others, so Laura brought us to the cabin so we could get some sleep."

"That is an interesting way of sleeping!" Joe jokes.

"We were only kissing...honest! See," Wheeler scoots out of the sleeping bag. "Clothes still on."

"Son, you might want to get back under the covers," Joe says with a grin and a glance downward.

Wheeler follows his look and pulls the sleeping bag back up.

Mishka, while not happy to walk in on his sister about to have sex, decides to have some fun with her boyfriend.

"So, Mr. Wheeler...are you saying that you were NOT about to violate my little sister on the floor of a cold cabin?"

"Mishka!" Linka exclaims in embarrassment.

"No, we were just kissing. Honest. And then we were going to get some more sleep."

"Ah...and even though you are only dating and not married, you still find it acceptable to share a bed...or sleeping bag?"

"Uh...well...as you pointed out...it's cold. We were just keeping warm."

"By creating friction?" Joe plays along.

"Yeah...NO! Stay out of this Pop!"

"Mikhail Vladimirovich Kovalev...I am an adult now and what I do with my boyfriend, who I am very much committed to and in love with, is **none** of your business. **Yes**, we were going to have sex, nyet, _MAKE LOVE_ on the floor of this cabin."

"NO WE WEREN'T!" Wheeler looks to Mishka and adamantly denies the claim.

"Da, we were...and it would not have been the first time. There have been many times...on floors, on beds, on couches, in the shower, on the beach, in the Geo Cruiser, **_ON_** the Geo Cruiser, on a desk, a table..."

Wheeler laughs nervously.

"Ok Linka, you've made your point...She's...she's just kidding," then mutters through clenched teeth and under his breath to her, "Are you trying to get me killed?!"

"I am not kidding! My brother needs to know that I am not a child anymore and I will not be treated like one. Am I embarrassed by what you just walked in on? Da. Am I ashamed? Nyet."

She then turns to Wheeler.

"Are you ashamed to be with me?"

"No, of course not!"

"Then do not deny me and the nature of our relationship," then she says more quietly to him, "besides, it is not the first time we have been walked in on. Do you not lock doors behind you?!"

Wheeler looks from her back to her brother, who is standing there with his arms crossed.

"Mishka, I love your sister. I respect her...and I respect you...so you should know, I am totally committed to her and only her. It's always been her. It always will be her. I'm not going to do anything to break her heart, ever...so to answer your question. Yes. Our relationship has progressed to more than just dating and while it's true that we are not married, I love her and she loves me and we are both adults, capable of making our own decisions on how we live our lives together."

"Ok."

"O-ok?"

"Da...I was only joking. I may not want to believe it, but I know my sister is a grown woman. I did not honestly think that she would still be...inactive. And you have been together for a while now so it is only natural that your relationship would evolve. But I do know that she would not just give herself to anyone...and that when she did, it would not be casually. She would wait until she found someone she was serious about...someone she loved and who loved her back. I always knew she would end up with you...and I did not think you two would live a celibate life...although I did always think she was such a perfectionist, goody goody that she might actually hold off until she was married...but obviously she cannot keep her hands off you!"

"Oh trust me...she did for many, _MANY_ years!"

Mishka chuckles. "You should have seen the look on your faces," he says to the couple.

"That was mean Mishka," his little sister says, crossing her arms and pouting.

"Oh come on Linka...you did not bring home boyfriends for me to tease when you were younger...now I have to do it with Wheeler...poor guy has to endure all of the catching up I have to do!"

"Great," Wheeler says under his breath. Then he turns his attention to his father. "What about you? You've been awfully quiet. Got any wise cracks to add?"

"Nope, I am the father of the guy who is dating a girl far more attractive than he has ever brought home before...I'm just gonna keep my mouth shut so I don't chase her away!"

The group laughs, all except Wheeler who is trying to maintain the scowl on his face, but it soon gives way to a smile.

Linka crawls out of the sleeping bag to give her brother a hug.

"This is a bit overdue, da?"

"Da," he agrees as he hugs her tightly and lifts her up off the ground. "I have missed you."

"I missed you too."

"You got one of those for me too?" Joe asks.

"Da, of course. Great to see you again," she says as she hugs him and kisses his cheek.

"What about you? You gonna get up and greet your guests or do we have to come to you?" Joe asks his son.

"Yeah yeah, I'm comin'."

"No you're not...we put a stop to that!" Joe jokes.

"Dad!"

The others laugh while Wheeler's face turns red.

Wheeler inconspicuously checks his "condition" and once he confirms it has subsided, he gets up go to shake hands with his father and Mishka.

"So, when do we get to be heroes?" Joe asks.

"As soon as we hook up with the others."

"Where are they?" Linka asks.

"Unloading your plane and talking to some girl named Laura. She's the one that told us which cabin you were in."

"We should get back out there and help. If we can get those wolves taken care of tonight, we can be back on HopeIsland in time for Christmas!" Linka says.

"What are we waiting for then? Let's go!" Wheeler says as he grabs their coats. He helps Linka put hers on as they follow his dad and her brother out the door.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	7. Chapter 7

**It's Linka's Christmas! :)**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing/following. It's nice to see some new names. The CP fans are still around, even if the show isn't!**

* * *

The Planeteers and their helpers arrive at the scene of the stranded wolves.

"Ma-Ti, go ahead and let the wolves know that we are here to help. Try to ease

their worries," Kwame instructs.

"Ok...Heart."

_It is ok my friends. We are here to help you. Do not be afraid. We will save _

_you_.

"They understand. But they are very scared and hungry. The pups are able to

nurse from their mother, but she needs to eat," Ma-Ti reports.

"Laura, you know these mountains," Wheeler says. "See that ridge up there? Can

we get there on the horses and drop some food down there?"

"The path that we are on should lead up there. As long as it hasn't been

obstructed by any snow or fallen trees."

"Ok. Did you get those steaks we talked about earlier?"

"Yes," she says, pulling the steaks wrapped in freezer paper out of her backpack. "It's

deer steak from our freezer. I took it out when we got back from our first trip up here. It should be thawed out by now."

"Great. I'll ride up and toss it down to them."

"Are you sure you will be able to get it to them? It would be a shame if you missed or if it was out of their reach and something happened to cause them to fall," Gi cautions.

"This kid had the most accurate arm in the whole Little League! If he'd stuck with baseball, he'd be pitching in the Majors!" Joe says.

"How the hell would you know? You were never at any of my games," Wheeler says, sounding more harsh than he intended. He had vowed to himself some time ago that he was going to stop dwelling on the past and just focus on the present; making happy memories with Linka.

"Buddy of mine from work used to umpire the games. He'd tell all the guys at work what a great arm you had. How many strike outs you'd had per game. You know no one else in Brooklyn has ever had as many perfect games as you? That record still stands. You're actually kinda a big deal back home. Brooklyn's own is a member of the world famous Planeteers."

"Really? People know who I am?"

"Yeah! You'd know that if you'd actually visit once in a while. They'd probably have a ceremony to give you the key to the city!"

"Huh...how 'bout that?" Wheeler says with a smile.

"I know how we will save the wolves...Wheeler's inflated head can float him up there to get them!" Linka teases.

"Jealousy is unbecoming Babe!"

"Well then it sounds like Wheeler is perfectly capable of getting those steaks down to the wolves. So while he does that, the rest of us can see what other ideas we can come up with to get the wolves down," Kwame says.

"Someone should go with him," Laura says. "In case something spooks the horse and he gets bucked off or something else happens. It's always best to pair off when going up the mountain in bad weather."

"I'll go with him," Joe says.

"Are you sure?" Mishka asks. "Do not take this the wrong way, but perhaps someone younger should go in case there is some physical activity involved. Mrs. Wheeler mentioned you have a bad back?"

"Nah, it's fine. She worries too much...besides, if you go, you might be tempted to 'accidentally' get rid of him if your 'big brother' instincts kick in!" Joe slaps Mishka on the back and the two laugh.

Wheeler and Linka smile uncomfortably as the others exchange confused looks, clearly missing out on something.

"Ok," Mishka says with a chuckle. "Perhaps you can take this opportunity to have 'the talk' with your son!"

Again, Mishka and Joe laugh heartily. Even Linka is giggling. Wheeler has already mounted his horse and pointed him towards the incline.

"Hurry up old man!"

Joe struggles to get on his horse.

"How do I steer this thing?" He asks Laura.

"She'll follow Wheeler's horse. They're trail riding horses and know these trails pretty well...and to follow the butt in front of them! Her name is Venus if you need to get her attention for any reason. Apply pressure with your thighs to get her to go. Pull back gently on the reigns to get her to stop. Pull the left side to get her to go left, pull the right side to get her to go right. She's 20 years old so she knows what she's doing and is very mellow. She'll be good to ya!"

"Alright. Let's go Venus." The horse's ears turn backwards at the mention of her name and she moves forward when his legs squeeze her sides.

Soon, Joe has caught up to Wheeler.

"You and Mishka are getting along nicely," Wheeler says flatly.

"Yeah, he's a good guy. Do you not like him?"

"I like him just fine. Never had any reason not to like him."

"You seemed pretty scared of him in the cabin!" Joe teases.

"Yeah well...wouldn't you be if Uncle Tony walked in on you and Ma when you were younger?"

"When we were teenagers, yeah...but you're a man now. It's natural to be embarrassed, but you have no reason to be ashamed."

"I guess. I just wasn't sure Mishka would think so. Or think that his sister was an adult. Linka had just gotten done saying that he and their Grandmother still treat her like a child sometimes."

"Sometimes it's hard to let go. Especially when you kids have been gone so long...see, I just called you 'kids' without even meaning it. But when you left, you were kids. We missed a good chunk of your lives...from teenager to adulthood. Every time I see you now, at first, I'm still expecting to see the boy that left. Takes a while to sink in that the man I see is my son. Makes me feel old."

"Well you _ARE_ old," Wheeler teases.

"Shut your trap!" Joe chuckles. "Still...it makes me realize what I missed...even after I sobered up, it was too late to be a part of your life because you were gone. So was Mishka right...should I be taking this opportunity to talk about the birds and the bees with you?"

"Uhh, I think I've got it covered."

"Do you...cover it I mean?"

"DAD!"

"Hey, I'm just sayin'...you're still young...you've got a lot going on with this Planeteer gig...a kid would throw a big wrench in that if you weren't ready for it. Not that it would be a bad thing. Your mother and I were younger than you are now when we had you. Married at 21, parents by 22."

"And how'd that work out for ya? Not so great," Wheeler says, letting that old bitterness sneak up on him once again. "I know I wasn't ready to start a family at that age...still not ready for the baby thing."

"What about the marriage thing?"

"Dad...times are different now. People don't wait until marriage. You can say it's wrong all you want, but Linka and I...we're forever...ring or no ring. We didn't need to wait...and not that it's any of your business, but she did wait...for me. And even though I had been with others before, once I met her, I knew that was it for me, and I waited for her. So in a sense, we did wait...just not until marriage."

"I don't care about that. I just meant, is that something the two of you are considering?"

"We haven't really discussed it. Other than I know I'll always love her and she'll always love me."

"So what did you get her for Christmas?"

"Uhh, nothin' yet. I'm kinda a last minute shopper...today was supposed to be my shopping day actually...are you suggesting I propose?!"

"I'm suggesting ideas for a Christmas present...I mean, both of your families are together to celebrate Christmas...what's a little bit something more to celebrate?" Joe says.

"Are you dyin' or somethin'?"

"NO! Why would you say that?"

"Well because...all this talk...pushing me to get engaged...it's like you're speeding things along."

"Speeding things along? You've been in love with the girl for 10 friggin' years and just got together a little over a year ago! You call that 'speedy'? If that's the case, maybe I **should** push you along...at the rate you're going, your mother and I won't be grandparents until we're 80-something!"

"We haven't even discussed kids! Well, we did once, but we weren't together...not officially anyway. I don't even know if Linka wants them. We certainly can't be parents _AND_ Planeteers."

"Well, as long as you two are taking precautions against it...I'm happy for you ya know?"

"You are?"

"Yeah. I'm happy to see you've turned out as well as you did...considering what you came from...I know I have Linka to thank for that."

"Yeah. She's everything to me."

Joe looks over at his son and raises an eyebrow. Wheeler looks back at his father and asks,

"You really think I should ask her?"

"Son, I think you're already married to her...the only thing missing is a ring and a piece of paper that makes it legal...so what the hell? Why not?"

"Because what if she says no and everything is ruined?"

"Why would she say no?" Joe asks.

"I don't know...because it's me and things are bound to go wrong eventually. That's just how my life goes."

"That's how your life _WENT_...it's been good since you've been a Planeteer, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," Wheeler shrugs.

"So later on, we'll go into town and have a look."

"Yeah but the thing is...this isn't exactly a paying job."

"Don't worry about that. Despite my lack of brain cells when you were growing up, I actually did a pretty good job of investing. I gotcha covered," Joe says with a smile.

"Shouldn't you discuss this with Ma first? I mean, she might have some objection to you just giving me money."

"She's onboard. And behind it 100 percent."

"Really? Ok then. Yeah. Let's see what we can find later if we can sneak away from the others," Wheeler says as he dismounts his horse now that they've reached their destination.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Yes. Definitely," Wheeler affirms.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	8. Chapter 8

"Linka, do you think you could use your power to get them down? Little mini tornados to bring them gently to the ground," Gi asks.

"It is possible that I can do that, da...but any sort of strong wind gust could cause the snow to come crashing down. Wheeler and I considered using the Eco Copter to lower down a cage with food in it to entice them to get in and then bring it down to the ground, but Laura said the wind created by the propellers and the noise would not be wise."

"Oh. Yeah. That makes sense," Gi says in frustration.

"What about if Kwame creates a land mass to rise up for them to jump onto and then lets it go down?" Ma-Ti suggests.

"But when I create it, the earth moves. The shaking would have the same affect as Linka's wind. It is too risky," Kwame says.

"If there were a water source, I could try to make an ice bridge...it would take a really long time to freeze though without the help of Linka's wind."

"And it is not that cold," Mishka points out.

The Water, Earth, and Heart Planeteers look at him like he's grown a third head.

Linka laughs.

"To them, this is cold...but he is right, the air temperature is above freezing," Linka says.

"I beg to differ!" Gi whines.

"Look, Wheeler has made it to the top," Mishka says as he waves to the American.

Wheeler waves back as they all turn their attention towards him. He ties one end of a rope to the saddle horn and then makes a loop with the other end of the rope to wrap around his torso. He lays down on his stomach and crawls closer to the edge.

"Be careful, Yankee moy," Linka whispers softly. Her brother puts his arm around her and squeezes her shoulder.

They watch as he reaches back and Joe hands him the package of steaks.

"Ma-Ti, let the wolves know what Wheeler is doing," Kwame says.

_Look up my friends. That man is going to throw some food to you. Do not be alarmed. He is not throwing something at you that will harm you. It is meat for you to eat to keep you nourished until we can figure out a way to get you down._

The wolves look up in Wheeler's direction and await his toss. His first one lands right on target. The male wolf picks it up and puts it down where the female is curled around the pups.

"Well I'll be damned!" Joe exclaims. "He gave it to the mother and kids!"

"Some fathers put their kids and mate before themselves," Wheeler says without thinking. He immediately regrets dredging up the past, especially since his father had just made him such a generous offer. He quickly recovers. "Kinda like how you offered to help me out with Linka's present."

"I was just surprised...I figured a wolf with raw meat...I was fully expecting him to snatch every piece you tossed down there and eat it himself."

"Animals are actually capable of thoughts and feelings. That's his family. His natural instinct is to protect them and take care of them. Gimme another steak."

Joe hands Wheeler another slab of meat.

"Here boy, this one's for you," Wheeler says as he holds up the meat to get the wolf's attention.

Once again, he lands it perfectly at the wolf's feet, and again, he takes it over to the female. She has been letting the pups gnaw at the first piece. Once she sees that she has a piece all her own, she starts eating it. She stops when she sees her mate lay down and rest his head on his paws.

"He gave it up to her!" Joe says, still amazed at the animal's act of selflessness.

"And look...she's saving him some," Wheeler says, pointing down to where the female wolf is nudging the steak towards the male. "But she doesn't have to. There's more steak in there, right?"

"Yeah, two more," Joes says as he hands him one more.

"Hey fella," Wheeler calls and whistles to get the wolf to look up at him.

His ears perk up and he springs to his feet. This time when Wheeler throws it, the wolf doesn't even wait for it to hit the ground. He catches it and lays down to tear into it. Seeing that her mate will not go hungry, the female finishes her piece.

"You gonna throw this one down there too?" Joe asks.

"One second," Wheeler says as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a knife. "I'm gonna cut it in threes. It's the only way he'll eat, if he knows his family has enough."

Once Wheeler finishes cutting up the steak, he throws each piece down one at a time. The pups seem to have regained enough energy to go over and investigate. The female stands and shakes the snow off her coat before claiming her second piece. The male looks up at the two men above him, gives a soft howl, and then eats the rest of his.

Wheeler turns to look at his Dad, sharing a smile with each other.

"I don't need Ma-Ti's power to know that he just told us 'Thanks.'"

"I wish your mother had come with us. She's not gonna believe this! So is this just another day in the life of a Planeteer?"

"Yeah...pretty much."

"Nice job Jason," Joe says as he pats his son on the back.

"Thanks." Wheeler smiles as he mounts his horse, not realizing how much he needed to hear his father say that; to finally have his approval.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	9. Chapter 9

Ma-Ti turns to the others and reports,

"They have all eaten and are very grateful. I still sense something...more than just being worried. Something else is bothering them. There is a sadness."

"Ask them?" Gi suggests.

_Do not give up hope, friends. We will find a way to get you off that ledge. Is there anything more we can do for you? I sense something else is troubling you._

In Ma-Ti's mind, the image of the wolves seeing the snow quickly sliding towards them appears. He sees the mother pick up two of the pups closest to her in her mouth and begins running. The father has picked up the other two pups, no wait...there are three. He is struggling to hold on. One slips out of his grip. He stops and attempts to re-gather them and succeeds, but barely. Once again, he looses a pup. He stops again, but the avalanche is approaching. If he puts the others down, they will all die. The wolf makes the difficult decision to sacrifice the life of one pup in order to save two. He looks back one last time before turning to run. He hopes that through some miracle, the fallen pup will follow; will somehow be able to outrun the wave of snow and keep up with his fleeing family.

Ma-Ti opens his eyes and looks sadly at his friends.

"There are four pups on that ledge, but the family originally had five. The father could not carry three at a time. He lost one. We can only assume the worst."

"Bozhe moy, that is terrible," Linka says sadly.

"The poor baby! And the parents. He must be sick with grief," Laura says as she hugs Ma-Ti.

"Grief? An animal?" Mishka asks.

"Yes. They have feelings. Love, trust, loyalty, fear, pain...just because they can not talk, does not mean they cannot communicate. They have their own ways of communicating with each other. We humans are supposed to be the smarter species. It is up to us to figure out what they are saying, what they cannot tell us with words," Ma-Ti explains. "Fortunately, my power makes that easier."

"Interesting," Mishka says.

"Da, it is. Imagine you had children and had to choose between saving one and letting the other go."

"That is unimaginable. It would be an impossible choice. I could not do it," Mishka says.

"Well that wolf just did," Linka points out.

"He saved two of his pups and feels terrible for not getting them all to safety," Ma-Ti says.

Mishka doesn't say anything.

"Go ahead brother, say what you are thinking. We are full of it?"

"Nyet, that is not what I am thinking...I am thinking that, you will think **_I_** am the crazy one...I want to give that wolf a hug an tell him it is ok. That he is a good father."

Linka puts her arms around her brother.

"You big softie!"

* * *

Wheeler and Joe continue their descent back down the mountain, taking note of the damage caused.

"Look at that pine tree. How thick it is. It's gotta be at least 100 years old," Wheeler muses.

"Snapped like a toothpick."

"Makes you wonder what else was destroyed. How many birds nests? How many Squirrels had homes in those tree trunks? How many more wolves, deer, rabbits, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, bears, etcetera got buried by the snow?"

"It's sad...but I guess you can't really focus on that. You gotta think about the lives you're gonna save. There's nothing you could have done to prevent this avalanche and the lives that were lost, but you can save those six wolves...you WILL save those six wolves."

"Yeah...you're right."

Wheeler nearly falls off his horse when the steed stops abruptly.

"Whoa, what the hell?!"

Something in the fallen tree has caught the horse's attention. Wheeler tries applying more pressure and even soft kicks to get his horse to move.

"Come on Thor...it's just a tree."

A noise from the tree causes the horse's ears to twitch and turn, searching for the sound again. By this time, Joe's horse is acting odd too. A soft "yip" is heard, this time, loud enough for human ears to hear, although just barely.

"Did you hear that?" Wheeler asks.

"Yeah. Squirrel?"

"Squirrels have more of a chattering sound."

Wheeler dismounts and cautiously approaches the tree.

"I wish Ma-Ti was here."

"Careful," Joe warns. "If it's a wounded animal, it could be more vicious."

Wheeler puts his hand up, signaling for his dad to stop talking while he listens. He pulls away the thick pine branches of the fallen tree and carefully walks along the trunk, moving the branches as he goes deeper into the brush. The noise is getting louder.

"Oh my God!" Wheeler gasps.

"What is it?" Joe calls in to him.

"A baby wolf! He's stuck in a tangled mess of snapped branches. It's like when this tree fell, it got pushed down the hillside, the branches bent and broke as they dug into the snow, but it created a perfect little air pocket. This guy must've been in the path and got stuck in the tree limbs. Better that he was surfing down the mountain in a tree, rather than being buried in the snow!"

"Are you gonna leave him in there?" Joe calls in through the tree.

Wheeler suddenly emerges with a wolf pup nestled in his jacket.

"Nope, I'm taking him back to Laura's. She has the facilities to take care of him...or her."

**To Be Continued...**


	10. Chapter 10

Wheeler and Joe arrived back where the others were.

"Hey guys, you're not gonna believe this!" He stops when he takes note of the

somber looks on everyone's faces. "Why the long faces? And I'm not referring to

the horses."

He gets off his horse and Linka rushes over to him.

"Oh Wheeler, we just heard horrible news," she says, her eyes filling with

tears.

"What is it? What happened? Did something happen on the ledge?"

"Nyet. Ma-Ti sensed something was bothering the wolves. He saw a vision. There

were initially five pups. One was lost in the avalanche."

She wraps her arms around him and nuzzles her cheek against his chest for

comfort. When she feels movement beneath, she pulls back and looks at him. He

unzips his jacket and the pup pokes his head out.

"Ya think it's this one?"

Everyone gasps and utter words of shock, amazement, and happiness.

"Bozhe moy! Where did you find him?!"

"It was Thor. We were walking past a fallen tree and he started acting strange.

Like he heard something. Then Venus heard it too. Both of them were agitated. After a few seconds, me and Pop heard a noise. I started pulling back the branches and going

deeper into it. When the avalanche took down the tree, this guy must've

gotten scooped up in the branches as it was sliding. There was a tangled mess of

branches that created a little nook. That's where he was hanging out. Safe and

sound. Not a scratch. Just scared and probably cold and hungry."

"He is adorable!" Linka coos as she takes her gloves off to pet the little furball peeking out of her boyfriend's coat before taking him out to cuddle.

"Laura, can we take him to the sanctuary to get him fed and warmed up?" Wheeler asks.

"Yes, but first, I think we need to let the wolves know he's ok," she says.

"Good idea," Ma-Ti says.

_My friends, the man who was feeding you just returned. On his trip back down, _

_he made a discovery. A wolf pup hiding in the brush of a fallen tree. Is this _

_yours?_

The wolf peers over the edge and his tail goes up.

"It is!" Ma-Ti tells the others.

_Do not worry. He is fine. We will take good care of him until we rescue you and _

_you can be reunited. We are going to take him to a safe place where he will be _

_warm and fed. _

"They understand," Ma-Ti reports back to the group.

"Anyone come up with any ideas on how to get them down while we were up there?"

Joe asks.

"Yes, plenty of ideas...no solutions though," Kwame says.

"Let's go back and get the pup taken care of. Then maybe Laura can recommend a

place in town where we can get lunch and regroup," Gi suggests.

"Yes, it will be dark soon. I do not think we can do anything more unless we

come up with a fool proof plan," Kwame says.

* * *

Once the pup has been taken care of, the would be rescuers sit down at a small

town diner for dinner. The other customers stop what they're doing when they

notice the strangers.

"Ever get the feeling you're being watched?" Wheeler asks Linka as he leans over

her shoulder to whisper in her ear.

She smiles and nods. Once they take their seats, the other patrons go back to

their own conversations.

A waitress comes over to take their drink orders and asks what they'd like.

"Lois, this is my friend Ma-Ti and his friends. This is their first time here so

can we get some menus?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure...gimme a few minutes to find enough." The waitress is not used to customers who don't know what they want as soon as they sit down. It is so seldom that they get visitors. "Eight?"

"Just seven. I know what I want," Laura says.

"If you can't find enough, we can share," Gi offers, trying to convey that they are good, considerate people and that the townspeople needn't be wary of the strangers.

"Ok...can I get you all anything to drink? Coke products? Coffee? Water? Tea?"

The waitress took their orders, noting that her tip will be lower than she anticipated when she first saw the large group. All opted for just a glass of water. Not even the expensive bottled kind. Just the free kind. At least she didn't have to write anything down. She left the table to go in search of more menus.

"I think it's safe to say that we tried our best to handle this ourselves, and

while there is no immediate danger, maybe calling Cap is our only reasonable

option," Wheeler says.

"I think Wheeler may be right," Linka says.

"Whoa! You all heard that, right?!" Wheeler jokes.

She takes her gloves off and smacks his arm with them.

"Uh, Linka...where's your ring?" Gi asks.

"What? Oh no!"

"Is it still in your glove?" Wheeler asks.

She carefully turns it over and shakes it. Nothing comes out so she sticks her

hand in to see if it's stuck inside.

"Nyet. But where could I have lost it?"

"Sleeping bag?" Joe says with a hint of a smile.

"Oh! I know! Check Wheeler's trousers!" Mishka adds.

"Mishka! This is serious!" Linka snaps. "It must have come off when I took my

gloves off to pet the pup.

"It's ok Babe, we'll find it. We know exactly where you were standing when you

took your gloves off. It can't be far from there."

"You are right. I just feel weird without it," she says, wringing her hands together and tracing the spot where the ring usually sits. Wheeler takes the hand where her ring usually resides and links his fingers with hers to try and stop her from worrying. She gives him a grateful smile and squeezes his hand in return. He brings her hand up to his lips in a continuing effort to let her know it will be ok. She sighs and leans her head against his shoulder. He then turns his head to kiss the top of her head.

Lois brings their drinks and provides them with their menus.

"I'll give you a few minutes to look those over and be back to take your orders," she says.

"Thank you," Kwame says.

After moments of silence while they looked over the menu, Mishka breaks it.

"I have an idea," he says.

"What is it?" Gi asks.

"If the wolves cannot climb over the snow because the pile keeps falling inward, what if we try to get to them THROUGH the snow?"

"What do you mean?" Linka asks.

"You come from a mining town Linka. Think about it. We start digging a hole IN

the snow bank."

"To make a trench?"

"Da," her brother says.

"Won't the snow just fall in on us?" Wheeler asks. "It's not like that's sturdy like the solid rock you're used to working with in real mining.

"We can get some wood, plywood to line the sides of the trench so the snow does not fall in on us. Then, every few feet, lay a 4x4 perpendicular to the plywood to use as support beams to keep the plywood in place."

"That sounds promising," Gi says. "And Linka knows a thing or two about tunneling. How many times has Wheeler gotten himself separated from the group and we had to do every thing in our power to get to him because 'Linka the Terrible' would not give up until we found him!"

Linka rolls her eyes and mutters, "One time."

"Tunneled one time, but there have been several occasions where you've been more worried about Wheeler than you'd admit!"

"What does that have to do with anything? Besides trying to embarrass me in front of my brother? Are you trying to impress him in some way?" Linka snaps.

Gi blushes.

"No! I'm just teasing...never mind. You're right, it's not important."

"Da, I have been concerned for him when he has been in trouble...just as I would be concerned for any of you who were in danger. It just appeared that I am more concerned when it was Wheeler because HE is the one who always manages to get himself into trouble!"

"HEY?!" Wheeler protests.

Ma-Ti hates all the tension he is feeling and decides to bring the focus back to the matter at hand.

"So, Mishka's idea...what do we think?"

"Better than anything we've come up with so far," Kwame adds.

Linka is unsure that their small group will be able to pull it off.

"Da, but in a mine, there are many more people working. We will need wheel

barrows or some sort of cart to remove the excess snow from the scene, then

those will need emptied and brought back quickly so the process is not slowed

down. We do not have the manpower or the resources."

"Not now, but maybe we can get them," Joe says.

"How?" Linka asks.

Joe stands up and makes an announcement.

"Hey everyone, can I have your attention?"

Once again, the crowd stops what they're doing to look at him.

"I know we're all strangers to you, but the reason we are here is because this

young lady called upon her friends to come help. These are the Planeteers and

they could sure use your assistance."

"Planeteers?" One of the patrons says. "They here to lecture us on cutting down

trees? That's kinda our industry up here. And yes, we follow all the regulations

set forth by the government and replant saplings to replace what we take."

Wheeler goes on the defensive.

"Actually, we're here to save some wolves who got stuck on the mountain during

the avalanche. We could use some volunteers to dig a trench through the snow

bank. Any wheelbarrows, shovels, plywood, and 4x4 timbers. If we could just get

a few more volunteers, we can get this done in a few hours."

"So you want us to go into an avalanche zone to save a couple of wolves? Animals

who will attack us as soon as we dig them out? No thanks. I don't feel like

getting mauled right before Christmas."

"They will not hurt us," Ma-Ti says. "They know we are trying to help them."

"Oh? How? Did you tell them you were there to help and not be an appetizer?" The

cynical towns person says to a chorus of laughter.

"Yes," Ma-Ti says calmly, not discouraged by their mockery.

"Let 'em die," another says. "I had a whole coop of chickens killed by wolves

who busted through the fence. They're a nuisance. The less, the better!"

"Larry, everyone knows your chicken coops are so poorly built, it's ridiculous!

You claim the loss of chickens in an insurance claim, but you don't use the

money to build better coops! For all we know, your chickens got out on their own and had nothing to do with a wolf attack!" Laura says accusingly.

That gets him to sit down and shut up, but another person speaks up.

"So if you're Planeteers, why don't you just call Captain Planet?"

Linka handles this one.

"Because I lost my ring. But if you are not going to help us and are willing to

just let those wolves and their pups starve to death, we will go back there and

hopefully find my ring. If not, we will just do it all ourselves and spend

Christmas away from our families while you all enjoy yours!" Linka stands up and

angrily pushes her chair in. "Come on, I am no longer hungry and do not want to

give business to a place so full of ignorant assholes!"

Her friends and brother are shocked by the Russian girl's outburst.

Wheeler gets up and follows her, and soon the others join them, looking around

the diner at the patrons who had previously gawked at the strangers and are now too

ashamed to look at them.

"Sounds like Jason is really rubbing off on her," Joe whispers to Mishka.

"There is a joke there somewhere, but I do not think now is the time," Mishka

replies with a smile.

"Not if you value your lives," Gi confirms.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


End file.
